FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

Shannon News, 3 August 1923, Page 4

FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

KNITTED SUITS. Three-piece knitted suits, which are comfortable, do not lose tlieir shape or require, constant pressing, arc vei} popular and comparatively inexpensive. Artificial silk and wool from the leading mixtdre, and colours most in demand embrace every shade of brown from copper to cinnamon. Some coats are loose, others being made on a baud to fasten round the hips—all more or less following low-waistcd lines. There was a time when crochet was restricted to shawls and babies' garments, but not only do many knitted suits show hems and panels of crochet, but whole dresses of crochet are being worn.

THE BUSTLE SCARE. Bustle effects arc much in evidence, but there is little fear of the actual monstrosity gaining a foothold in the world of fashion. The bustle of the moment consists of a much-looped, broad ribbon sash placed at the waist-line at. the back, which is lower than in front. This idea of arranging the waist-liuo is one of the features of the season’s models. It is followed alike on tailormades and every other type of frock, and to the tall willowy girl or woman who holds herself well, the mode is becoming. FORTHCOMING MILLINERY. Regarding shapes, the smart little cloche, with its high crown, short back, and sheltering brim, leads at the moment, and very becoming it proves to the majority of women. Very large hats, however, boasting- floppy brims, important-looking crowns, and a great deal of trimming will appear later in the season. Artificial flowers made in ribbon, muslin and quaint braids, also ostrich feathers of the “ weeping” order, will be largely employed in the adornment of these shapes. For sport's wear felt hats lined wdth straw, and moufflon in shades of brown and white, appear, the latter looking especially well for tennis. HAIRDRESSING STYLES. A few years ago the more hair —real or acquired —a-'woman exhibited the smarter she was deemed, but we have changed all that. With the advent of '‘bobbing” all taste for the wearing of false locks disappeared, and women wifth thick trusses 'are having them thinned in parts to suit up-to-date modes. The latest notion is to crop the hair closely behind, tvavo, longer side pieces and twist them together at the nape of the neck beneath a wide and ornamental slide. To women posssessed of well-shaped heads and attractive profiles, this particular slyde is eminently becoming. ENDURANCE COMPETITIONS. The non-stop piano-player has been followed lately by the non-stop dancer. Women have danced for 24 hours or more without stopping, and they are generally better than the men at this particular trial of endurance. It looks, too, as if they could out do the luon at wheeling a perambulator with a baby in it, but there has been so much criticism of the mothers’ pram race from London to Brighton that this sort of thing is not likely to be repeated. In this contest the winner, a mother of young children, wheeled her baby and did the 52 miles in 12 hours and 20 minutes, a wonderful performance when it is remembered what an important part a free swing of the arms plays in walking contests, ■

LACE FASHIONABLE. Lace is promised an immense vogue during the coming summer, and quantities of this fabric have already been requisitioned for toilettes destined to appear at the Royal receptions and weddings. The varieties are numerous and fascinating—many hailing from the Nottingham looms —and these figure largely in the fashioning of lovely afternoon and evening frocks, capes, coats, hats and evening head-drosses. The lingerie department alone excludes lace at the moment. A few “ sets’’ show very fine "broderie Anglii-i.se '* or narrow French filet lace, but underwear generally depends mainly on the material and hemstitching for its beauty. FABRICS AND COLOURS. Foulards in novel patterns anil gay shades are freely shown, and taffeta is in high favour. Then for youthful wearers we have new printed muslins, some with soft Persian impressions, others showing vivid chintz designs, and there are white muslins finely embroidered. For evening wqur metal fabrics, pliable as the softness silks, and having a colour woven through them, promise to be extremely popular. Powder blue woven through gold or silver, cherry with gold, lemon ivith silver, and -white with copper, create exquisite effects. Two favourite colours will be yellow and green in many shades, but dressmakers are allying rose pink'to blue and magenta and puee to red and mauve, with considerable success. COAT-FROCKS. Our old and valued friend, navy blue

serge, discreetlv mingled with black satin, is to. the fore again. A close rival, however, is woollen rep, which like summer cacneiuere is light, cool, jind uucrushnble; moreover it will stand a shower without shrinking. Stockingette —bearing no resemblance to the old pull-out-of-shape varieties—is being employed for many of the latest coatfrocks, so also is shiny alpaca. A coatfrock can be very charming if it is not allowed to become ecccucric, and when worn with a smart cape. The, cape fashion is nevertheless full of pitfalls, and is wisely eschewed by the amateur worker. >■

Fashions may conic and fashions may go, but the jumper has come to stay—presumably for a long time yet, foi among the newest fashions an important place is given to jumpers, which, appear in all sorts of new' and effeeive styles that promise well for the continued popularity of one of the most fascinating little garments of modern days.

Briefly, the new jumpers may be divvied into two distinct classes: draped and plain. All,'for the most part, extend ns far as 'iv lip-line, though some are shelter at the sides.

As for materials, crepes of all kinds (sik, wool and cotton) lead the way, crepe - marocuin and rrepe-dc-chene ot a new, heavy quality being responsible for many of the loveliest little jumpers; but fashion is still faithful to silkjersey and soft, brilliant satin, that are rendering vocman service in the interest of the more substantial jumpers, while for those of more ephemeral character gorgette and Spanish lace are requisioned, and, on the whole, the lace jumper is the simplest ot all models. It is usually made up on plain magyar lines, and is devoid of trimming of any sort, except perhaps a binding or bordering of ribbon. A handsome example of a jumper of the kind is ol' black .-Spanish silk lace, with round neck, hem and short sleeves bound with narrow black gros-gram ribbon, the hem having a scallop outline. A similar jumper is cut so Unit the natural, shaped edge of the lace forms the bottom of tire garment, which is therefore neither hemmed nor bound. The black Spanish lace jumper looks lovely over a slip of oyster-white silk or satin.

Coloured laeo is also very fashionable for magyar jumpers, grey, brown and a new .shade of powder blue being much seen in the coarse Tacos of woollen character, that are, used so effectively for jumpers of this simple kind, the edges of which are sometimes plainly bound with ribbon to match, somelimes linished with gatherer be be ribbon. Nothing, of course, could be. simpler or easier to copy than these charming little designs.

Others of more elaborate character are much beaded or embroidered in silks. For instance, a straight-hanging jumper of dark, moth brown marocuin is embroidered all over with a large '‘diamond” or trellis design worked in tiny brown beads and silks; another, in a lighter shade of brown, is trimmed with two wide bauds of tiny sequins and steel beads running over each shoulder to the li'em of the jumper, back and front; and a third, of jerseysilk, in a lovely shade of coral pink, is lightly embroidered at (lie neck and on two little ‘ ‘handkerchief” pockets, with dark blue soutache.

With regard to the draped jumpers, the drapery almost invariably proceeds from the lower part of the side-seems, which are sometimes open at this particular part, sometimes closed. "Where the seams are left open for a few inches the edges are generally finished ivith a little fringe of' silk or beads. A charming model of the draped class is made of light, fawn-coloured crepe-de-cbene, the fronts pleated at the side seams, while the back remains plain and hangs longer than the front, which drapes prettily owing to the gathered-up sides. Embroidery, done in two shades of brown silk, descends from the boatshaped neck and rises from the waist, where it is very deep and suggests a band. The draped jumper is also expressed with delightful results in tawny,'orange marocain, the front; of which is embroidered all over with French knots wrought, in tiny steel and crystal beads. In this instance it is the back of the jumper that is draped to the front, the drapery giving a pannier effect to the hips, while the front itself it plain-hanging and long and curved at the edge.